


first draft

by lord_is_it_mine



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Bittersweet, Coda, Drabble, Episode Related, Episode: s03e02 The Sign of Three, Friendship, Gen, Letters, M/M, Misunderstandings, Pining, Romance, Short, Short One Shot, Unrequited Love, Unresolved, Wordcount: 100-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-07
Updated: 2014-01-08
Packaged: 2018-01-07 19:54:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1123751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lord_is_it_mine/pseuds/lord_is_it_mine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He sat down to write a speech and found that something else came to him instead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Before the Speech

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was never supposed to be read.

_John,_

_My father once tried to explain to me what love truly is. I of course couldn't have cared less at the time, but for some reason, the words he said have stayed with me._

_'Sherlock', he told me, 'to truly love someone is to want their happiness even more than your own.'_

_I never understood. All my life, I never understood. Not even when I met you and we moved into Baker Street, or when you shot the cab driver on our first case together. Not when I surprised even myself by being so outright worried about you the night Moriarty strapped a bomb to your chest. Not when I spent all my time trying to understand you when I normally would have gotten bored and given up. I did not understand, even when I left for two years, letting you believe I was dead. Not even when I heard you speak at what you thought was my grave. I never understood._

_I do now. I know how selfish I have been. And now here you are on your wedding day, and here I am writing a letter you will never see. But you must know, John, that when I say that Mary and I are the two people who love you most in this world, it is true. And you must know that your happiness has come to be more important to me than anything ever has._

_Sherlock_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [here's the letter](http://danascullays.tumblr.com/post/72505951784/lord-is-it-mine-john-my-father-once-tried-to)


	2. After the Fact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Of course, these things always get found out.

_Sherlock,_

_I found this letter, crumpled and torn and thrown in the fireplace at Baker Street. It’s chicken scratch, but I’ve seen enough of your writing to be able to read it._

_~~why wouldn’t you~~ _ _~~why didn’t you~~   ~~of course you would pick now to develop a conscience~~   ~~so when you say you understand now do you mean you’ve always felt it but never realised it or~~   ~~I can’t believe you didn’t think I would~~   ~~why did you never realise~~ ~~was ‘the greatest and wisest man I ever knew’ not obvious enough you fuc~~   ~~all this time I’ve~~   ~~of course I do~~   ~~I really do~~   ~~Sherlock you ba~~   ~~I lo~~_

_You idiot._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [here's the letter](http://danascullays.tumblr.com/post/72604890731/lord-is-it-mine-sequel-to-x-sherlock-i-found)
> 
> [come visit me on tumblr!](http://www.danascullays.tumblr.com)


End file.
